Women who have experienced, or are at risk of, repeated pregnancies that result in their children needing to be removed from their care are to be given support from a new scheme.

Dorset Council has committed to a nationally evaluated programme, called Pause, which aims to give women the opportunity to pause and take control of their lives, breaking a destructive cycle that causes both them and their children deep trauma.

There are women in every local authority in the UK with complex and challenging needs to whom many children are born but who are unfortunately subsequently removed into care. Dorset is no different.

Councillor Andrew Parry, portfolio holder for Children, Education, Skills and Early Help, said: “This is absolutely not about judging people. We want Dorset to be a place where communities thrive and families are supported to be the best they can be.

“It is incredibly traumatic for mothers and their children when they are separated, and we want to do all we can to support families to stay together.”

The mothers are typically disadvantaged and living with social, emotional, environmental and health related challenges. In Dorset:

• 84 per cent have experienced domestic abuse;
• 75 per cent have mental health issues (not necessarily diagnosed);
• 57 per cent have issues with drug misuse; and
• 31 per cent have issues with alcohol misuse.

Most shockingly, women who are eligible for Pause support are 36 times more likely to die earlier compared to women of the same age. This includes death as a result of suicide or domestic violence but also preventable or treatable physical illnesses.

Children who are removed into care are more likely to experience outcomes poorer than their peers including: poorer educational results; higher rates of criminality; sexual/criminal exploitation; substance misuse; suicide; poor mental health;

and become parents at a younger age and repeat the cycles of children into care.

Cllr Parry added: “The Pause programme has proven success in other parts of the country, both in terms of the emotional pain it avoids and financial savings because children do not have to be taken into care.

“I look forward to working with other organisations in a partnership approach to make sure it has the same success here in Dorset.”